Super Bowl LII

Philadelphia Eagles 41, New England Patriots 33

Super Bowl LII Ads: Celebrities Play It Safe for Laughs

With Washington, Hollywood and the NFL embroiled in serious social and political battles, the commercials tilted toward mild humor delivered by familiar faces. Here’s a look at some spots worth further review.

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2018 Super Bowl Ads Offer Something for Everyone

For millions of fans Super Bowl commercials are one of the most anticipated and entertaining parts of the football championship finals, and this year's ad game has something for everyone. NBC's Jay Gray reports. (Published Monday, Feb. 5, 2018)

Even before Super Bowl LII, world’s richest human Jeff Bezos tried to get his money’s worth by generating buzz for Amazon’s Alexa-loses-her-voice commercial, with celebrities from Cardi B to Anthony Hopkins filling in for the AI assistant.

Who could blame Bezos – and other advertisers – for fueling pre-kickoff hype, especially with 30-second ads costing $5 million? And who could blame them for running the safe play, erring on the side of humorous, celebrity-driven spots?

With Washington, Hollywood and the NFL embroiled in serious social and political battles, this year's Super Bowl commercials tilted toward mild laughs delivered by familiar faces. Here’s a look at some of the more amusing ads and others worth further review:

More meta: Danny McBride and Chris Hemsworth star in a trailer for a “Crocodile Dundee” sequel that turns out to be an Australian tourism ad. Now there’s a social media movement to make the phony flick a real movie.

Not every commercial went for laughs. Mass Mutual and Budweiser effectively used two classic songs with similar theme and titles – “I’ll Stand By You” and “Stand By Me” – to spotlight folks helping one another through adversity. Meanwhile, Verizon offered a touching salute to first responders.

The Pepsi Generation blasted into the past with glimpses of Cindy Crawford, Britney Spears and the late Michael Jackson. Coca-Cola invoked the spirit of its classic 1970s “I’d Like to Buy the World a Coke” commercial with an ad celebrating youth and diversity. The tagline, delivered by three voices: “There’s Coke for we. And us. And there’s a Coke for you.”

McConaughey Weird Rider Awards

Keanu Reeves motorcycle-surfed for Squarespace. Meanwhile, Steven Tyler drovea Kia back in time to a soundtrack of “Dream On.” Somewhere, Matthew McConaughey is cruising in a Lincoln, smiling.

Alexa Answers the Call

You probably saw it before the game. You’ll probably see it after. The Alexa ad probably will emerge as the most durable of this year’s Super Bowl crop. It's already won USA Today's 30th Ad Meter. So watch it again: